Puka Nacua Grateful for Rams During Difficult Offseason: “It’s OK to Ask for Support”

One of the bigger storylines around the Los Angeles Rams heading into OTAs was around wide receiver Puka Nacua. Not only is Nacua in the final year of his rookie contract, but he also was at the center of off-field drama over the offseason.

The Rams would almost certainly like to have Nacua secured long-term. Throughout the past four years, Nacua has solidified himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Last year, he was a unanimous First-Team All-Pro at wide receiver. However, if the Rams are going to give Nacua a long-term deal, they need to ensure that Nacua is the type of person that they want to give that big of a contract to.

“I’ve been really grateful for the support from the organization, especially my teammates. People have reached out at different times of the off-season just checking in,” said Nacua. “I’ve learned that it's OK to ask for support.”

Over the course of the last year, Nacua has been at the center of multiple controversies off the field. Prior to the Rams’ Week 16 game against the Seattle Seahawks, Nacua went on Adin Ross’ podcast where he criticized NFL officials and agreed to perform a touchdown gesture that holds antisemitic themes. Nacua then tried to get Ross and his group into the team facility.

On New Year’s Eve, Nacua allegedly made an antisemitic statement and allegedly bit a woman on the shoulderfN. Following the lawsuit being filed, Nacua entered a rehab facility over the offseason.

Not that Nacua’s actions were acceptable or should be downplayed, but they can also be attributed to a 25-year-old learning about himself and dealing with the pressure and unprecedented stardom that comes with being an athlete in Los Angeles.

With that said, the Rams will certainly want to make sure Nacua is mature enough to handle being a leader on the team and what comes with signing a large contract. Heading into OTAs, Nacua seems to have a reflective mindset and is confident that the contract situation will work itself out.

“To play for this organization specifically has been awesome. I couldn’t imagine myself playing anywhere else,” said Nacua. “I know that my job is to come up here and to be with the guys and go out there and compete every single day. That’s been kind of my mindset. Those are the things that I can control and then hopefully allow those other things to handle themselves.”

As things stand, there doesn’t appear to be concern about a potential holdout from Nacua as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. The focus remains for Nacua to show that he’s someone that the organization can rely on long-term. If he can show that throughout the offseason, it wouldn’t be surprising if a deal got done either before Week 1 or sometime during the season. There is little doubt that the Rams would love Nacua to be part of their future. The next step is proving he can handle everything that comes with being one of the faces of the organization.

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